Desolation and darkness shrouded the four fields, and the cold, dry turbulent void occasionally blew around the body.
Zhou Yan activated the protection of the Spiritual Lotus Green Lotus Armor and, along with Feng Jiu Xian, embarked on the journey to the Nirvana Ancestor Star through the starry road.
The entire starry sky, silent as the dead, murky and gloomy in the void, with chaotic yellow sand dancing everywhere.
This was Zhou Yan’s first encounter with the starry sky.
Only after leaving the Sword Burial Ancestor Star and looking back could he see that this world was indeed in a bad state—not just the environment of the starry sky, but also the breath of the Star River—that was the breath of annihilation without a trace of life.
Such a road had already been traveled for three days, merely three days, but it felt as long as a lifetime.
Because with Zhou Yan’s current abilities, he could cross great distances in an instant, yet in this continuous crossing and shuttling process, darkness was always ever-present between heaven and earth.
Feng Jiu Xian tirelessly traversed the starry sky; the top-grade Soul Armor on her body was worn and polished by the cosmic turbulent stream as if shed of a layer of skin, yet she still did not halt.
If it wasn’t for Feng Jiu Xian knowing the direction to the Nirvana Ancestor Star, Zhou Yan estimated that he would have become extremely frustrated after just three days of such traveling.
It wasn’t that he lacked the ability, but the planets he had passed since leaving the Sword Burial Ancestor Star were all dead stars, and not only did they share the same breath, but their appearances were also exactly alike, as if rotten cells had been magnified into individual planets.
Tireless, without fatigue, repetitive and monotonous, forever in such a dark cycle of reincarnation, with no clue where the road ahead or behind lay.
If it weren’t for Feng Jiu Xian, Zhou Yan felt that a single person traveling through such a universe would not need three days—a single day could cause a weak-willed cultivator’s spirit to break down.
It was a feeling that made one frantic and hysterical; it was uncomfortable and very lonely.
"The starry sky is not beautiful, on the contrary, it’s very dangerous, like a fierce beast choosing its prey to devour."
Hou Ling muttered in her heart.
And Hou Chen, her heart had long been filled with a sense of frustration and nausea, which she was forcibly suppressing.
Feng Jiu Xian, covered in dust and although silent and reticent as she led the way, also looked haggard.
"In another half day, half a day more and we will reach the Nirvana Ancestor Star, everyone just hang on a bit longer."
Feng Jiu Xian said, sighing with relief after leading everyone across countless planets.
"That’s good; I really don’t want to continue living days where I cannot see the boundary or the end—too lonely and too isolated. Such a strong atmosphere can make a person go completely insane."
"This road, you will inevitably walk in the future, so getting a taste of it now can be considered cultivation. This kind of refinement, far removed from the vanity of the mortal world, is indeed of great assistance to you at the moment."
Zhou Yan said to Hou Chen.
"Master, Chen Chen knows. However, this kind of cultivation really shouldn’t be overdone; otherwise, it really will come to a point of counterproductive extreme."
Hou Chen did not deny Zhou Yan’s words, but added her own opinion on top of what Zhou Yan had said.
"The starry sky is just , desolate and cold, boundless and endlessly lonely. When I was first banished from the Nirvana Ancestor Star, stepping on this path for the first time, with no purpose and no spare thoughts, only wanting to survive.
Numbly flying along the way, several sets of my combat armor were worn through by the chaos, yet the environment of the starry sky remained unchanged, still as ever.
At that time, I thought that perhaps I would never walk out of this starry sky in my lifetime, to die old in this starry universe."
Feng Jiu Xian sighed, then continued, "Back then, I was at the Sword Soul Third Layer Heaven intently focusing on cultivating my Chaos Sword Body, using the Nirvana Fire as a technique, yet I could traverse the starry sky and survive while being pursued by others."
"At that time, I didn’t have the clear feeling that I have now—I felt that the starry sky was extremely dangerous."
"Perhaps, the stronger one’s power, the more one can perceive the horror of the breeding ground. By the way, the Chaos Sword Body should be quite powerful, right? Although not one of the Four Great Sword Forms, it’s only a step behind them, isn’t it?"
Zhou Yan expressed his doubts.
"The Chaos Sword Body is actually the nascent form of ’Chaos Qi.’ This sword form may seem powerful, but in fact, all such sword bodies are in a ’discovery’ phase. The division of this sword body begins once a sword soul with a thread of chaos will and chaos momentum is generated from the fusion of bloodline and flames of the Undying Fire Phoenix Clan. In reality, the threshold for this sword body is not high. If we strictly analyze it, it doesn’t even qualify as a sword body; it’s just a way of condensing a Tao.
Almost all sword bodies have innate abilities corresponding to their constitution, but Chaos Sword Body, Heart Universe Sword Body, Supreme Sword Body, and so on are still just inchoate.
If one could perfect these constitutions into truly boundless and powerful bodies, they would rightfully be distinguished.
And with the capabilities of a Chaos Sword Body, if it truly could be perfected, it would surely surpass the Ancient Sword Form."
"Ah, I see, no wonder..."
Zhou Yan seemed to recall the first time he met Feng Jiu Xian. Back then, he had provoked Feng Jiu Xian to descend to his 15294th Secondary Main Peak using reverse psychology, helping her resolve the killing tribulation.
Feng Jiu Xian also seemed to remember their past encounters, and after a long time, her face bore a gentle smile as she softly said, "Back then, I had to pretend to be cold and heartless, yet you managed to provoke me with your words, revealing my childlike nature. At that time, I felt you must be an exceptionally peculiar cultivator with extremely frightening methods planning against me..."
"Isn’t that so? Now, the Holy Daughter of the Undying Fire Phoenix Clan has fallen into the pit of the great Emperor Qi Sword Body."
Feng Jiu Xian’s cheeks turned slightly red, but she did not argue, evidently conceding.
Zhou Yan touched his nose, suddenly feeling that this cold world had become unexpectedly warm and intimate.
"Master, why don’t I leave first? The starry sky is vast, and with Heaven and Earth as my bed, sleeping under the grand blanket, embracing left and right must be truly delightful," Zhou Yan said with a mischievous smile.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan gave Hou Chen a heavy thump on the head, "You little thing, how dare you flirt with your master at your age."
"Ow—Master, Chen Chen was wrong," Hou Chen said, holding his head and looking aggrieved.
A solitary, blood-colored ancient star floated in the dark starry sky.
Zhou Yan and his group had finally arrived here.
This place was the Nirvana Ancestor Star, and the Heavenly Heart Secret Realm was nearby, but it needed to be searched for.
However, Zhou Yan possessed the Yuan Ci Secret Realm, which allowed him to control a strand of Primordial Magnetic Power. Finding the Heavenly Heart Secret Realm wasn’t too difficult; the key was that it would take time.
So Zhou Yan didn’t hesitate, deciding to help Feng Jiu Xian settle her family’s internal strife first.
"As I expected, even though I tried my best to hide it, they still sensed it. But this matter should be led by me. I want to stain my hands with the blood of my enemies. Zhou Yan... if I cannot withstand their power, will you help me then?" Feng Jiu Xian asked, her gaze flickering with determination.
She knew it might not seem right, but some hatreds had to be avenged by one’s own hands in order to soothe the pain in her heart.
"Go ahead and make your move, I understand. But if there comes a threat to you, I will step in immediately," Zhou Yan, understanding Feng Jiu Xian’s difficulties, said immediately.
"Don’t worry, I feel the same as Zhou Yan."
"Thank you, thank you all," Feng Jiu Xian said, moved.
Zhou Yan and the others responded to Feng Jiu Xian’s emotions with sincere smiles.
Feng Jiu Xian was touched but didn’t show it. Instead, she firmly etched everything into her heart.
She turned around, and her whole demeanor became icy cold, like the ice mountain goddess she seemed to be when she first appeared.
The red planet was extremely hot and the environment somewhat harsh.
Upon entering such an Ancestor Star and seeing the sandy skies and barren earth, Zhou Yan realized just how beautiful the environment of the Sword Burial Ancestor Star was.
Perhaps, with the Lei Yuan Sword God having derived a part of the planets, the Sword Burial Ancestor Star had indeed undergone extensive environmental transformations.
"Come out!" Feng Jiu Xian suddenly called out coldly.
"Hmm? Little bitch, it seems you’ve made some progress in the Outer Star Domain, sensing us . Not bad, capturing you today will surely please Young Master Ying," with Feng Jiu Xian’s rebuke, out of the void suddenly appeared nine men and women dressed in red.
These nine, dressed in red, had realms that ranged mostly from the Sword Soul Third Layer Heaven to the Sword Spirit Realm, relatively modest levels.
If it were the old Feng Jiu Xian, handling them might have been difficult, but now, not to mention that her past injuries had fully healed, even her realm had reached the Sword Void Fifth Transformation, making her more than capable of killing these beings instantly.
"Just right, I was planning to settle scores with her!"
Feng Jiu Xian huffed coldly, her delicate and pale fingers suddenly jabbing toward the void in front of her.
A terrifying force pierced through the void, shattering a large swathe of Heaven and Earth, as a limitless stream of Nirvana Fire roared overhead like a flood.
The blood-red flames burned, their horrifying power reminiscent of a fierce sea in turmoil, threatening to destroy Heaven and Earth.
Several agonized screams burst forth sharply and distinctly, intense yet cut off in an instant.
With a single point of her finger, Feng Jiu Xian slaughtered everything within a hundred miles.
Not just nine Sword Spirit Realm beings, but even nine Sword Void Realm beings might perish under this move, dissipating both body and Tao.
Zhou Yan watched, his pupils narrowing. Even though he knew Feng Jiu Xian’s combat power was formidable, he hadn’t expected her growth to be so rapid. That aura and combat power, indeed indicative of a peak phase Combat Power Breaking Nine, was almost at the pinnacle!
"Strong, very strong! Already at my level of strength! But I have stepped further ahead, comparable to Ji Wu’s strength from before, so Mistress Feng Jiu Xian’s combat power still falls short of mine! Mistress, you must work hard!"
Hou Chen seemed to sense something and suddenly blurted out cheerfully.